


Laughing on the Outside

by totallyfxcked (prettypoisons)



Series: babe, you look so cool [2]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bisexual Archie Andrews, Bisexual Betty Cooper, Bisexual Veronica Lodge, Cheryl Blossom Needs a Hug, Demiromantic Jughead Jones, Demisexual Jughead Jones, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Jughead Jones Needs a Hug, Lesbian Cheryl Blossom, M/M, Protective Archie Andrews, Road Trips, Robbery, Supportive Toni Topaz, Veronica Lodge is Highkey a Bitch, be gay do crime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-30 09:29:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17826188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettypoisons/pseuds/totallyfxcked
Summary: (a rewrite of my old story!)"What I really want, though, is to just get out of here. For good.”“So why don’t we?”//in which Cheryl Blossom and Toni Topaz run away and fall in love, Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge are co-captains of the Vixens, and Archie Andrews is pretty sure he's in love with his best friend, Jughead Jones.





	1. Discretion

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I've been wanting to rewrite this story with better grammar, capitalization, and character development for ages, so here it is! It's back and better than ever because now everyone is gay! Thanks a bunch for reading:)

The night was like any other in Riverdale; stars illuminated the night sky, and parents sat ignorantly in their homes as their teenagers took their wild crusade to the streets. The neon lights of Pop’s lit up the otherwise dark neighborhood, a lighthouse in murky waters. That is where most of Riverdale’s teenage population found themselves on Friday night. While Cheryl Blossom didn’t consider herself “most teenagers,” she will admit that she too was sitting in Pop’s.

However, unlike the others, she was awaiting the arrival of a very special friend.

She sat perched on a stool at the bar, her fingernails tap, tap, tapping the table in no organized rhythm. This action kept any other customers at bay; Cheryl was intimidating, and that suited her perfectly well. The constant tapping mimicked the beat of her own heart, which was sounding off rapidly in anticipation of what was to come.

Cheryl wasn’t waiting for someone; of course not. She would never be so… indiscreet. It would be better to say that she was hoping. She was hoping that one particular sapphic serpent would just so happen to make her acquaintance that evening. Cheryl was not staring at the door searching for the girl she so desperately wanted to see; she was just looking around. People watching, as one might say. It was always beneficial to know your surroundings, was it not?

When the bell above the door finally chimed, the skip of Cheryl’s heart and the quick intake of breath were not caused by any pique of interest. Of course not. It was definitely a fearful response, not one of admiration. She pretended, as always, that she couldn’t feel the girl’s presence. That she couldn’t smell her perfume from a mile away. That the whole room didn’t seem to light up when she walked in. No way.

Although she had been waiting so long to look at her, Cheryl intentionally kept her eyes away from the entrance, instead choosing to focus them on the cherry Cola resting on the bar in front of her. She knew the girl would be able to see right through Cheryl’s trick; she was too smart for that. That didn’t matter, though, because the redhead could never think properly when her girl was around. Boundaries were forgotten. Filters were demolished. Previously untouched feelings were spilling everywhere.

“Hey,” her voice said, sweet and intimidating and enticing all at once: pretty as poison.

Cheryl found herself wishing the girl would say more; she wanted every empty moment to be filled with the angelic chimes of her beautiful voice.

“Hi.” She couldn’t find it in herself to bring another word to her cherry-coated lips as all the breath had been removed from her lungs.

The girl was standing there in all her glory, and Cheryl forgot all about the discretion she had tried so desperately to preserve. She couldn’t help but marvel at the girl’s beauty; she wanted to remember this moment forever. She longed to preserve the way her pink curls fell over her shoulders and the way her sugary smile complemented the leather jacket she adorned. 

Cheryl soon realized she had been staring for quite a long time and the silence between the two could most certainly be considered awkward, but who could blame her? It was impossible not to be in love or lust or whatever this was with the ever-glowing Toni Topaz.

Toni had been going through a very similar crisis on her walk to Pop’s. The walk from her trailer to the popular restaurant was a good twenty minutes, maybe fifteen if she was lucky. Maybe there was something different in the way she walked, as she arrived in ten minutes flat.

She had looked through the glass of the window before entering the restaurant, a small smile appearing on her face when she noticed the ever-unique red hair that Toni so often found in her dreams. Cheryl was looking at the door, her cherry lips between her teeth. Toni had blushed, having never for one second believed she had it in her to make the girl nervous. 

Upon opening the door, Cheryl had turned away, obviously trying to pretend she hadn’t been anxiously awaiting Toni’s arrival. A few eyes had turned her way when the little bell above the door rang, but Toni didn’t care about them; there was only one pair of eyes she wanted focused on her.

She too had been able to hear her heartbeat echoing loudly in her school, a problem that only occurred when she was afraid. She had paused a moment, wondering what she possibly could be so fearful of.

That this isn’t what you think it is.

She had taken one final deep breath before approaching her girl, a simple “hey” leaving her lips; she couldn’t trust herself to say much more without doing something stupid. Cheryl’s voice had been so quiet and distracted in response; Toni had prayed that her blush wasn’t bright enough for the other girl to notice.

_Man_ , she had thought to herself. _Was it possible to not feel beautiful under Cheryl Blossom’s gaze?_

Toni thought not.


	2. 1961 Chevrolet Impala (Convertible)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you guys want, you can check out the spotify playlist i made for this story [here](https://open.spotify.com/user/j9bjun0bojwngrfkhk81uo8im/playlist/3gX4iFKpW4CNCEiMWCCz7R?si=SRg1Tt-aQHW2EnpU0Q_G6Q)! also putting it out there that i am not looking for any constructive criticism; i just wrote this for fun! thanks for reading:)

“I didn’t really expect you to call.” Toni said, her voice luring Cheryl out of whatever trance she might have been under. 

“Neither did I,” she responded, the answer more honest than she may have intended. She brushed her hair behind her ear; to a passerby, she may have seemed nervous.

“So why did you? You know, call?” Toni asked. The girl’s intentions were far from malicious; she was genuinely interested in what could’ve changed the redhead’s mind. Whoever it was, she was ready to give them a million “thank yous” and gifts and presents or whatever they asked for.

Cheryl opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Toni’s soft laugh.

“I’m sorry, I forgot! You’re Cheryl Bombshell, right? You don’t need a reason.”

Cheryl giggled a bit, her cheeks going a color comparable to that of her lips. “You’re right, you’re right. Delectably chaotic.”

The girls fell into a comfortable silence as Cheryl deliberated over what to say next.

“I had a reason, though. I wanted to call you.”

Toni raised an eyebrow, finally sliding onto the stool beside Cheryl. “Why?”

“Well, let’s just say there are very few people who I genuinely relish conversing with. You, Toni Topaz, just happen to be one of them. Congrats! It is the accolade of accolades. You should be honored.”

“Trust me, Blossom, talking to you definitely makes me feel special.”

Cheryl’s heart fluttered a bit at the words; she covered her growing grin by taking a sip of her cherry cola. This action caused Toni’s gaze to drop to Cheryl’s lips. Toni found herself wondering what they tasted like, how soft they were, how much of that red lipstick would end up on her neck- all the normal thoughts. She had to make a conscious effort to look away.

“I wish we were… anywhere but here,” She said suddenly.

“Oh, really? If you don’t like this place, we can leave-” Cheryl responded, her words choppy and quick; the idea of Toni leaving after such little time because she had such a terrible experience made a pit grow in her stomach. 

“That’s not it at all,” Toni corrected. “It’s just so… open.”

Toni wasn’t wrong; this was the most popular hang out in the town. Each booth was full. Cheryl and Toni had been lucky to get stools at the bar (It wasn’t luck. Cheryl had arrived thirty minutes early and glared at anyone who tried to sit down next to her. It worked like a charm.) This wasn’t the problem, though; Toni worried mostly for Cheryl. The girl was so preoccupied with putting on a show for the others, and Toni really didn’t want to mess that up for her. All she wished for Cheryl was happiness.

“Oh!” Cheryl looked relieved, a shaky smile growing on her cheeks. “I mean… Well, we’ve been here before, and… I don’t know. Being seen with me might… boost your rep, if that makes sense. Some of the Northsiders really haven’t been giving you guys the time of day. Sorry. It’s kind of imbecilic, now that I say it out loud.”

“No, not at all. I think it’s nice.” Toni chuckled bemusedly. “We can stay as long as you want.”

The girls stayed at the restaurant through a two cherry colas and a plate of fries, chittering and chattering about nothing significant. That was perfectly fine with the two of them, however. Simply being in the presence of the other girl bettered their moods considerably. 

After finishing off the last of her cherry cola and placing the bottle onto the bar with a flourish, Cheryl swiftly pulled a $50 out of her bag and pressed it down onto the bar.

“Thank you for your service!” She chirped, splattering a bright smile onto her face. “Keep the change. Let’s go, TT!”

Cheryl grabbed Toni’s hand before heading towards the exit. Toni tried to finish off her soda as quickly as she could while still holding the redhead’s hand, finishing it off with a slurp before catching up with her friend.

“We left so soon! The night was so young!” Toni exclaimed melodramatically as the two walked away from the restaurant.

“And what about it? I paid $50 for a $15 meal; it’s fine. We finished our fries, and that’s all that matters. Besides, we can hang out anywhere. In fact, I’d rather we hang out somewhere that isn’t full of greasy fast food and sweaty, pubescent teenagers.”

“True that.” Toni grinned. “Where are we going anyway?”

“Oh, TT, don’t you adore a surprise?”

“I hate them, actually.”

“Well-” Cheryl paused. “No worries. This is a good surprise. Swear on my spider brooch.”

Toni was positive that saying no to Cheryl Blossom was a Sisyphean task. It was impossible to deny a girl of her charm. Cheryl was comfortable in her own skin, and Toni didn’t want to do anything to get in the way of it.

When they arrived at the park, Toni couldn’t say she was surprised. Cheryl always had an odd sort of appreciation for the elements (especially fire, but never water.) The stars glittered in the sky above them, obscured by a surprising lack of pollution. The only other light guiding them on was that of the moon (and the flashlight on Cheryl’s phone, but that kills the mood.)

After a few minutes of walking, Cheryl abruptly stopped walking and plopped on to the ground with the grace of a ballerina, pulling Toni’s hand in a wordless command to join her. 

“So,” she began. “Good surprise?”

Her red hair seemed even brighter when surrounded only by the cool colors of the grass and the night sky. The stars seemed to lose their glow as Toni was entranced by the girl in front of her.

“I mean… It’s an okay surprise. I thought we were going to go skinny-dipping,” Toni joked, resting her head on the grass to look at the stars (perhaps she was just looking at Cheryl, but it was to look at the stars.)

Cheryl laughed. “Next time, mayhaps. Where would we even go to do that?”

Toni shrugged, taking a sideways glance at Cheryl. “I don’t know. Sweetwater?”

This appeared to be the wrong thing to say as Cheryl went completely rigid. A series of memories flashed in her head like a slideshow: the last moment with her brother, the burn of freezing water, her brother’s corpse- She shook the images away, exhaling sharply before covering her fear of the notion with a faux smile.

“That place isn’t for me. Way too many ghosts.”

“Ghosts?” Toni repeated.

Cheryl sighed; she couldn’t have possibly expected Toni to magically know all of the traumatic things that had happened (or very nearly happened) to Cheryl by that dreaded river.

“This whole town is full of ghosts,” she mused, intentionally ignoring the implied question. “Everywhere I go. Dead and living. Heather. Jason. My mother. My father. Me.”

“What do you mean, you?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been through an abundance of tragedy here. I’m sure you have too, but… I just can’t escape my own head. Wherever I go. Whatever I do. Whoever I’m with. It follows me around all the time, like a spectre.” Cheryl faced away from Toni, embarrassed by the tears clouding up in her eyes. “I swear the Grim Reaper haunts this town. He’s just waiting to pull me away kicking and screaming. I don’t want to die here, but I know that’s what I’m fated to do. I can feel it in my bones. This godforsaken town is the resting place of so many who didn’t deserve it, and I know I’m next. The only difference is I do deserve it. My whole family deserves it. I’m doomed by the Blossom name.”

Toni was sitting up now, her face riddled with concern. “Cheryl-”

“I hate this town. I hate this town.”

“You don’t deserve it. If you remember one thing I tell you right now, remember that you don’t deserve it.” Toni said quickly. 

“But Toni-”

“Don’t let the people here tell you that. They take it out on you because they can’t handle the terrible things they’ve done. You are by far the best thing about this place. And don’t you dare try to self-deprecate your way out of that compliment, because I won’t let you, okay?”

Cheryl smiled a bit. “Thank you, Toni.”

“If it’s any consolation, I hate this place too,” Toni said, putting a hand on Cheryl’s knee comfortingly. “I don’t have a place to stay. I’ve been alternating between Fangs and Sweet Pea’s couches for years. After my parents died because of some stupid gang thing, I was supposed to stay with my uncle, but… He locked me out of his trailer when he found out that I liked girls. It fucking sucks. The people here suck. I know it’s terrible, but… I wish whatever serial killer is on the loose right now would just kill one of those sucky people instead of innocent high schoolers.”

“I concur wholeheartedly,” Cheryl said. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. If I knew you were looking for a place to stay-”

“I’m not looking for sympathy, Cheryl.”

“I know. I know. However, as your self-proclaimed best friend and biggest fan, I feel it is only right to offer you a spot in one of Thistlehouse’s numerous guest bedrooms.”

Toni smiled sadly. “That would be really nice, Cheryl. Thank you. Seriously. What I really want, though, is to just get out of here. For good.”

“So why don’t we?”

“What do you mean?” Toni asked, even though she knew exactly what Cheryl meant.

“I mean just what I said. Let’s just leave. Finally escape this ghostly town that’s taken everything from us.” Cheryl was sitting up now, a gloriously rebellious spark in her eye paired with a magnificently evil grin.

“Where would we go?” Toni questioned despite the fact that her mind was spinning with images of her and Cheryl’s many possible futures: sneaking off to Paris and taking selfies in front of the Eiffel Tower (Toni thought maybe, if she was lucky, kissing in front of the Eiffel Tower), haunting the streets of New York hand in hand, pretending to be famous in Hollywood… the options were limitless.

“Anywhere we want,” Cheryl said, and Toni could tell the two of them were both imagining all the possibilities. If the redhead’s mind wasn’t set before, it most certainly was now. “Think about it.”

Toni didn’t have any thinking to do.

“Let’s do it.”

“Really?” Cheryl responded, her voice coated with surprise.

“Yeah. We can… leave next week. That will give us enough time to pack our bags, say our goodbyes, get some money, get a ride, and go.”

“You act like that’s simple! We can’t absquatulate to whatever far-off place we decide to go to on your bike, Toni. As much as you would probably savor spending the entire trip with me all pressed up against you as we rode through the wind, there’d be no room for our things. And trust me, TT, I will be bringing many things.”

Toni scoffed, grinning. “I was thinking more along the lines of a 1961 Chevrolet Impala. Convertible.”

The corners of Cheryl’s lips twitched upwards. “I didn’t think that was your speed.”

“Your speed is my speed, Cherry Bomb.”

Cheryl laughed a breathy laugh before her face fell a bit. “That’s only one out of five items on the checklist. Where am I supposed to get the money from? My mother is a hag, and I simply despise the idea of relying on her meretrix money for our… uncontaminated endeavors.”

“Well, I’m not exactly bathing in the founding fathers either.”

Cheryl sighed, furrowing her eyebrows in thought. Now, the redhead was not exactly known for having a particularly strong moral compass. Maybe that’s why her next idea was even considered a viable option.  
“While that may be the case, I think we both know someone who is bathing in way more founding fathers than she could ever dare spend.”

“Who?” Toni asked, even though she was relatively certain she already knew the answer.

“Why, one Ms. Veronica Lodge, of course.”

“You really think Veronica would just… give you a bunch of money for no good reason?”

“Well, I for one think we have a perfectly valid reason. Additionally, she doesn’t need to give it to us. We could always simply… take it from her.”

“You want us to rob V? Isn’t she Jughead’s friend?”

“Friend? Please!” Cheryl exclaimed with a laugh. “The only thing keeping their every conversation from being a full-on interrogation is Betty. They’re not friends.”

Toni nodded. “Then… it’s settled. Let’s meet at your place at 2 A.M next week. Bring your bags and your car.”

“It’s a date, T.T.”


End file.
